Doctors not yet reporting all child abuse cases they see

Primary care physicians (PCPs) do a good job of spotting injuries that might indicate child abuse, but they are not as proficient in reporting it.

Researchers at Boston Medical Center compared PCPs' decisions in 92 child injury cases with evaluations by child abuse experts, according to a study in Academic Pediatrics. They found that reporting was warranted in 13 of the 63 cases physicians did not report to authorities.

"To become more certain of their suspicions, PCPs need better education about the recognition of injuries that are suspicious for child abuse," says lead author Robert Sege, MD, professor of pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine.